Protestants, what is required for salvation?

The gospel is Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. We appropriate or apply that gospel to our lives by repentance (death to sin), water baptism (burial), and the Spirit baptism (new life in Christ), thereby identifying personally with the redemptive work of Christ. We obey the gospel by fulfilling these commands. The Old Testament foreshadowed and all New Testament preachers proclaimed this one message.

The gospel presents a comprehensive remedy for every consequence of man's sin. We can say with the Apostle Paul, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16).

God ALONE will judge the salvation of each person (Romans 2:16; Hebrews 12:23). No human being can condemn a soul to hell or guarantee him a place in heaven, for salvation is a matter between the individual and God.

A=Apostolic

B=Believer

I=In

O=One

G=God

JESUS

Some of the answers above noted that many Protestants (usually in the "Calvinist" tradition--like Presbyterians, Baptists, evangelicals and so on) believe that grace alone is sufficient for salvation, that we can t do anything on own to be saved. The trouble is that grace is a gift. What happens if you weren t given the grace that instills faith, as is the case apparently for many people nowadays? Well, other Christians, like us Anglicans and some other Catholics (Roman and Orthodox) believe this, too, but we also believe that those without faith can sometimes achieve it by practicing good works--especially helping the poor, the hungry, the oppressed. That s because good works sometimes (often?) make people humble, compassionate, and aware that all people are children of God: Faith sometimes follows from this.

The Bible makes it very clear - admit to God that you realize that you are guilty of breaking His Moral Law; ask God to forgive you (based on the vicarious death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and repent of (turn your back on) your sin, "owning" Jesus as the Lord (boss) of your life.

We are saved by grace, through faith. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that nobody can boast.

Doing those things I mentioned can not earn you salvation, any more than a convicted criminal could do anything to receive a pardon from the judge.

But if the judge were so inclined to grant the criminal a pardon, he would be morally bound to withhold that pardon if the guilty refused to admit his guilt and promise to quit, but insisted on continuing in his criminal behavior!

So, in the same way, repenting does not earn us salvation. It is a moral requirement that prevents God from granting pardons willy nilly if a person refuses to acknowledge his guilt and repent.

I know you asked for just Protestants.. but basically here is the Christian(whether you are protestant, catholic, anglican, or orthodox) belief:

Salvation = faith in Jesus Christ and living the way he taught us to

Jesus paid the punishment due for our sins of rebellion against God, nothing more is due. Now all you have to do during your lifetime is to make one choice, accept God or reject God. Jesus is handing you a free ticket to heaven, all you have to do is accept it. You have the freewill to reject it, but why would you? God does not force heaven upon anyone, he wants to to come willingly, freely, without reservation.

Jesus summed it up simply here:

John 6:28-29

28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Salvation = Believing that Jesus is God's son. There are no other requirements, just believe in Jesus. That's all.

Acts vs faith

Acts

You have to earn your way to heaven by doing the right things.

Faith

You have faith that Christ will forgive your, and he does.

faith and nothing else

believing that Christ died, rose again, and that He is the Lord